In the last week, we’ve seen long running TV series end (The Closer), short running TV series end (Political Animals), and the second season finale of an occasionally strong, often frustrating series (Falling Skies).
The Closer…I’ve never watched a single episode of this show, so the “finale” (which really just set up an almost identical spinoff show) was actually my proper introduction to it. I am familiar with The Closer though, and it really says something (something bad) that I was able to know exactly what was going on all during this episode even without knowing much of what came before it. Kyra Sedgwick’s chief finally caught the one that got away, Billy Burke’s serial rapist and killer, but refused to hear his confession after shooting him in her own home. [Would a killer this supposedly smooth break into her house in such a clumsy way?] Then she was abruptly offered a new job in Atlanta, said goodbye, and all of the old crew will now be working under Mary McDonnell’s more somber (and boring) chief.
The problem with this show is that I feel an overwhelming “Why bother?” feeling every time I read or hear about it. It’s not an ultra-realistic police procedural (TNT’s Southland) nor a reinvention of the form (The Wire, The Shield), so why does it even need to be on a cable network? Couldn’t this exist just as easily on CBS without skipping a beat? The answer is yes, and so I’m not sure why someone would need to watch the same old crummy cop show on cable. Grade: D
Political Animals…This was a six episode miniseries loosely based on the life of Hillary Clinton (Sigourney Weaver is a former first lady turned presidential candidate turned Secretary of State turned presidential candidate again). This really suffered from not knowing what it wanted to be nor sticking to its short form. For a show that knew it would only be on for six episodes it sure wasted a lot of time with unnecessary subplots (pretty much anything involving Weaver’s two sons) and serious pacing problems. I know that the creators hope there will be other episodes, but based off these six, I’m not sure there should be. Although it’s probably the best show the USA network has ever aired, it’s still too light and fluffy by half, with a miscast Ciaran Hinds giving a poor Bill Clinton impersonation (the real Bill is much more charismatic, complex, and, yes, attractive), and James Wolk/Sebastian Stan really trying viewer’s patience as Weaver’s angry, fuck-up sons. The fact that last night ended in absurdity (Adrian Pasdar’s smooth and interesting president seemingly dead after Air Force One crashed…thus clearing the way for Weaver to run for president, how convenient) only made me lose further interest. Grade for season/series: C…Grade for Finale: C-
Falling Skies…I know I only reviewed this show a few weeks back, but, what the hell, they had their season finale last night so I might as well talk about it. The last couple episodes have found the Second Mass (freedom fighters in the war against the aliens) in Charleston, South Carolina, the new capital of the United States. There they got caught up in a turf war between a pacifist civilian leader and an untrustworthy general, and right when I thought the coup was getting interesting they switched horses into familiar territory: a big battle they must win…and they do, no surprise, since this show never allows itself to get too serious or “down.” They killed the alien overlord that controlled the entire Eastern United States war plans, Noah Wyle’s oldest son had an alien bug take over his body making him an unwilling spy, Moon Bloodgood’s character is pregnant, and a new type of alien landed outside Charleston at the very end. Is it friend or foe?
All in all a fairly strong episode in an otherwise weak season. I feel like they’re making serious budget cuts this year as we haven’t seen the aliens nearly as much, but the alien alliances are becoming more complex, and one day so might the human relationships. The show would do well to unchain its most talented supporting cast members (Moon Bloodgood, Will Patton…stuck playing easy archetypes), and seriously build on the political conflicts in Charleston next season (plus, have more episodes with the great Terry O’Quinn). And it wouldn’t hurt to hire a writer that can fix the show’s worst problem: terrible dialogue. Grade for the finale only: B
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